Cricket SA needs major shake-up

Many patriotic sporting fans are making disturbing calculations and comparisons in the wake of former Proteas cricket captain Graeme Smith’s announcement that he has pulled out of negotiations with Cricket South Africa (CSA) for the position of director of cricket.

They see Rassie Erasmus, a former player, hired by SA Rugby, given freedom and support to craft the team he wanted to take to Japan to win the Rugby World Cup. They see success and nationwide parades.

Then they see Smith, who has pulled out of negotiations because he finds himself in exactly the opposite position to Erasmus.

Smith explained on Twitter: “I would have loved to have taken the role. However, despite my obvious desire to make a difference, during the long and, at times, frustrating process over the last 10 weeks of discussions, I have not developed the necessary confidence that I would be given the level of freedom and support to initiate the required changes.”

When he took over as national captain at the raw age of 22, Smith was said by some to be too green for the position. Yet he ended up as the country’s most successful cricket captain and has an enviable batting average to boot.

Apparently, though, CSA doesn’t want to appoint a former player to the post. Heaven knows why not. It worked for rugby because Erasmus knows exactly what it is like to pull on the national jersey – in good times and bad.

So does Smith. In addition, he is respected by the players and would have been – had he been allowed his freedom – the sort of tonic the losing Proteas need to turn around their fortunes.

Clearly, all is not well in CSA. And all will not be well in SA cricket until that organisation is run properly.